It is always exciting to taste a new Chablis cuvée for the first time, especially when it comes from an estate as ancient and reputed at Simonnet-Febvre and from a premier cru climat at that – but even more so when the climat in question is Forêts, reports Colin Hay. To be honest, it came as something of a surprise to me to hear people speaking of a Simonnet-Febvre Forêts (or La Forest). As far as I was aware, Simonnet-Febvre owned no parcels of this hallowed premier cru on the western side of the Serein river, south of the village of Chablis, which comprises a south-facing hill of high-quality Kimmeridgian soils. Their premiers crus Chablis holdings were, I had thought, considerable, but confined to Beauroy, Côte de Léchet, Fourchaume, Mont de Milieu, Montée de Tonnerre, Montmains, and Vaillons. Until recently that was true – but unbeknown to me Simonnet-Febvre’s impressive seven premier cru climat offerings had become eight. But how? My interest piqued, I set off on a little detective work and am now delighted to reveal what I found. To a handful of Chablis aficionados, I suspect, this will not be news; for I am not about to reveal a closely guarded secret. But it has certainly not been widely communicated. The story itself is quite simple – but it is intriguing and makes this new Simonnet-Febvre Chablis premier cru particularly interesting to taste. As Paul Espitalé, Simonnet-Febvre’s general director, reminded me, Maison Simonnet-Febvre, which had been founded in
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Fine Wine
